John Marshall Harlan Scholars Program

Overview

The John Marshall Harlan Scholars Program at New York Law School is a rigorous academic honors program designed for students who have performed at the top of their law school class. It gives students the opportunity to focus their law school studies, gaining depth and substantive expertise beyond a broad understanding of the law. The program also facilitates the development of relationships among students, professionals in the field, and professors who are interested in the same areas of law.

Students whose first-year cumulative grade point average places them in the top 15 percent of their class division will be invited to join the Program. Participation in the Harlan Program includes: affiliation with one of six academic centers at the Law School (Center for Business and Financial Law, Center for International Law, Center for New York City Law, Center for Real Estate Studies, Impact Center for Public Interest Law, and Innovation Center for Law and Technology); participation in the New York Law School Law Review; and membership in the Dean’s Leadership Council.

Once affiliated, Harlan Scholars will work with the academic center of their choosing to complete certain curricular requirements as prescribed by that Center. The curricular requirements generally include selecting courses from a menu related to the Center’s areas of study and a capstone experience in the final year. Details of each Center’s curricular requirements are described in the Program description, available on the portal. Please note that some courses may not be offered every year, and registration materials for each year will have the definitive list.

The Harlan Scholars Program is an academic and professional program that anticipates a high degree of commitment from students and provides in return a rewarding intellectual experience, the opportunity to develop an impressive professional portfolio, and recognition of high academic achievement. Satisfactory completion of the curricular requirements of the Center with which a student has affiliated, as well as completion of Law Review obligations, and otherwise maintaining academic and disciplinary good standing at the Law School, will culminate in a notation on the student’s final transcript after graduation, and recognition at Law School commencement.